Kimpton La Peer Hotel West Hollywood Review

Kimpton La Peer Hotel West Hollywood Review

After staying at the Kimpton Nine Zero in Boston, I received a certificate for a free night at any IHG property. I combined it with my Chase IHG Free Night certificate and booked two nights at the Kimpton La Peer in West Hollywood. Award nights using points go for 70,000 points per night and cash bookings start at minimum of $380 off season.

The 105 room property has a boutique hotel feel about it. It opened in January, 2018 and feels modern and comfortable.

Location

The Kimpton La Peer is located in West Hollywood (which, I discovered, is its own city). It is actually west West Hollywood, only a few blocks from Beverly Hills. Santa Monica Blvd is a half a block from the hotel.

The hotel is located mid-block on La Peer Drive. The street has an odd mix of restaurants, clubs, veterinarian, and lumber yard. I didn’t drive but I did notice there is on-street metered parking in addition to valet. To park on site is $50 a night which would make sense in the heart of a big city, but not for this neighborhood. But this is a very high end hotel and people are willing to pay.

The outside of the building is reminiscent of art deco style. The outside is rather imposing but the building opens up to interior courtyards.

Check In

I received an email from Gabriella, the assistant manager, prior to my stay. She asked if there was anything she could help with. I asked if the room I reserved had a soaking tub, and she let me know she had been able to upgrade me to a Signature King Room from the Juliet Balcony King I had booked.

I arrived from Burbank Airport around 7:00pm on the Friday of Labor Day.

As you arrive at the property, the front desk is to the right of the porte cochere and main lobby. The wall behind the front desk is based on the topographical map of Los Angeles.

There was a rather demanding guest checking in ahead of me (a couple staying one night but with five very large suitcases). By the time I was checking in, there were two more parties behind me. For a busy Friday evening, I was surprised they only had one person at the front desk.

When it was my turn, Hanns was very helpful and warm. I was offered a water bottle with a handwritten note and coupon for $10 towards the mini bar.

I forgot to mention the Kimpton Secret Password at check in, but called down and asked if I could still get my gift. I was offered extra treats from the mini bar, a free movie, or $25 breakfast credit (which is what I picked).

I was assigned room 413 which is on the top floor of the hotel. There are only three floors of guest rooms. The halls and elevators are all modern with a grayscale color scheme with light wood.

Room

As you enter the Signature King Room, a tiled entry with bathroom on the right opens up into the main part of the room.

One either side of the bed are two lamps; one desk and one hanging. The hanging lamps are three dimensional with led strips on the interior. All the lamps in the room are dimmable.

On the table to the left of the bed is a gold, balloon type sculpture of a rabbit in the style of Jeff Koons.

Opposite the bed is the desk and wall mounted TV.

Built in to the desk is a min fridge with mini bar items (in addition to snacks on the desk for sale). Note that there is no coffee maker in room (though I believe you could order one up if you so desired). There is also juice and coffee in the lobby each morning.

In addition, Gabriella had sent up a note along with some fresh fruit, a chocolate cake, and bottle of Patron Silver tequila. Definitely above and beyond service I expect from an IHG property (especially as only a mid-tier elite). Kudos to the staff.

The view from the room is nothing too special. I actually looked out to a bright green tree which was nicer than some of what other rooms would look out at (either a courtyard or other random buildings).

Back towards the entrance is a closet with the standard amenities.

Dividing the bedroom area from the bathroom is a geometric cut out glass wall that encloses the tub. It is a beautiful feature but if I was sharing the room, it would make for an awkward shower time.

I would also note that the ceilings are quite high. I don’t know if that is just because my room was on the top floor or if all rooms have vaulted ceilings.

Each night during turn down service, housekeeping leaves a handwritten note (including weather conditions), a chocolate, and bottle of water.

Bathroom

The luxury feature of the Signature King Room is the bathroom with tub. A large barn door offers some privacy from the entry.

The toilet can also be closed off with a dark frosted glass door.

The vanity is in the center with an oval sink and two pendant lights. Two full sets of towels are provided (as well as a third bath towel by the tub). The towels are thick and large.

The shower and tub portion is open to the rest of the bathroom with a glass wall offering some water containment.

The control for the shower are opposite the shower itself which allows you to turn it on and set the temperature without getting wet. A large shower head offers decent water flow.

The bath products are provided in large bottles (except body lotion and bar soap at the sink), a trend in hotels that is less wasteful, though it has its critics. I tend to prefer the more environmentally friendly practice. What I don’t like is only providing one bar soap. I don’t like bath gel and I prefer not to switch the bar between shower and sink.

The tub is a deep, free standing oval that matches the sink. It is made out of an acrylic type hard plastic with a matte finish.

If you so desired, a bath with special additives could be ordered for a fee.

The walls and floor of the bathroom are made up of patterned tile, except for the shower/bath area which is rock-like tiles.

My only minor complaints about the bathroom is the lack of a handheld shower head (there is one at the tub) and only being provided one bar of soap.

Lobby

The main lobby is on the ground floor. There is plenty of seating, including large bed-like couches in the middle.

Off the lobby is an outdoor courtyard with covered bar and open patio. It is possible to order food from the restaurant. The pool is just off the bar area.

The other public space is the lounge on the roof (5th floor). Although the roof is only on the 5th floor, you are still able to see views of West Hollywood and even downtown on a clear day. There is also a function space in a tent on the roof.

Pool & Gym

The pool and gym are located in the same courtyard as the bar. While the pool is small, on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend there were at most only 4-5 other people around the pool. There are two cabanas at one end (free to use), one day bed at the other, and 15 or so loungers.

A server from the bar took drink and food orders for those around the pool. In the afternoons a happy hour menu offered discounted food and drinks. I had a mixed drink for $10.

Just behind the cabanas is the gym and restrooms.

Restaurant

The onsite restaurant is Viale dei Romani. I used my $25 breakfast credit there the first morning. There was another table of two for breakfast, otherwise the restaurant was empty. In the evenings it picked up for dinner.

I ordered the American breakfast and orange juice. The service was extremely informal. Typically this is fine with me, but it was over the top casual.

With other breakfast options nearby, I would not pick to eat onsite if I was paying full price. I imagine lunch and dinner would be better judging by the number of people (most looked to not be hotel guests) dinning.

Service

Throughout my stay, with the exception of the quirky service at breakfast, the service was fantastic. From Gabriella, the assistant manager, reaching out to me before my visit, to Hanns at check in, to the housekeepers leaving notes at turn down service, I was very impressed by the personal service provided. A couple of times throughout my stay I received a text message from the front desk checking in on how my stay was going.

Since I was staying on two reservations (one for each night), my keys stopped working during my second day. The front desk was apologetic, when I checked I was told I wouldn’t need to re-check in for my second night.

Overall

The Kimpton La Peer in West Hollywood is a wonderful property with a price to match. With point redemptions being 70,000 per night and cash stays at $400+, it is one of IHG’s more expensive properties. I would also say it is likely one of the flagship Kimpton properties.

While the physical building and service are fantastic, the location isn’t particularly memorable. It is in hip West Hollywood, so if you want to be there, this is a great option. However, most of the rooms do not have any sort of view. And it isn’t like the property is on a beach. This is an urban hotel in a mixed use area.

With that in mind, this is a great non-beach LA boutique property that gets everything right. I know IHG paid a pretty penny for Kimpton, but this is one of those properties that makes me believe that they made the right choice.